


Friendly Competition

by Wye (qt_myung)



Category: GOT7, JJ Project, K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Competition, M/M, Rival Relationship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 07:44:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9711941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qt_myung/pseuds/Wye
Summary: The rivalry in their blood ran as deep as the sea was blue.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written in my blood, sweat and tears and fueled by sheer boredom as I brave monotonous 8 hours per day, 5 days per week Internship schedules. Literally 90% of this was crafted in the past three weeks in between self-declared toilet breaks and mindlessly pounding away at 1000 column x 50 row excel spreadsheets.
> 
> Happy (Belated) Valentine's Day, everyone! ♥
> 
> P.S.: This broke the previous record set by [Goodbye Then Hello](https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1010382) to become my longest oneshot to date.
> 
>  
> 
> ~~P.P.S.: This is horribly unbeta-ed and posted in a near comatose state of mind. I will revisit it and make some edits..... Eventually. Heh.~~

Mark’s quietly studying in the library when a stack of books slam on the table space across from him and his best friend’s face appears in his line of vision. “God, I hate Im Jae Bum.”

“What did he do this time?” The honey blonde asks good-naturedly. He doesn’t bother greeting the younger, knowing that the other’s mind turns one-tracked when he’s in rant mode.

“He’s a prick,” Jin Young tells the elder firmly as he flops, in defeat, onto the empty seat. “I can’t believe he called painting obsolete in the middle of class. Is he even listening to himself? No one’s going to pay ten bucks for a flimsy printed digital photo, much less the hundreds of millions Da Vinci and Angelo’s priceless antique works cost. Who’s gonna be more relevant two hundred years from now, huh?”

Mark nods, not lifting his eyes off his book as he turns the page.

Jin Young makes a sound of frustration. “And the most absurd part is, the professor didn’t even stop him! Said it’s all that nonsense on freedom of speech and what not and that he deserved the right to speak his mind. What’s the point of going to college if you’re going to remain stupid?”

Mark hums. He picks up his pencil and makes a small annotation on the margin of the book as the fictional character enters a plain white room, empty save for a set of pastel blue curtains framing the lone window. Hmm.

“Hyung,” The younger whines and folds his arms across his chest. “You’re not listening to me!”

“I am,” The elder tells him calmly, tapping the end of his pencil on his chin as half of his brain contemplates the symbolism of blue curtains while the other half attempts to formulate a reply to his best friend. He eventually gives up on both. “You’re complaining about Jae Bum yet again. I already heard you the first twenty odd times.”

“But this time is different! He practically openly declared war on me!” The brunette shakes his fist in the air. “I can’t let him get away with this!”

Mark looks up, running his fingers over the various coloured highlighters spread out on the table before picking up a neon orange one to highlight a quote of self-musing. “Okay… So?”

Jin Young grunts. “What is with you all soulless English majors and the lack of empathy?”

“What do you expect? Like you said, we are soulless after all.” He flips a couple of pages down and scribbles something on the side by the colourful highlighted lines. After half a minute of sulky silence from the younger, Mark finally closes his book with an exasperated sigh and turns to face his best friend. “Look, you want to prove him wrong right?”

Cue an eager nod that promises nothing good.

“Then beat him at the annual showcase.” The elder says simply. “No better way to rub a victory in his face than for him to watch four years of his hard work go down the drain.”

Jin Young’s eyes light up as though he’s discovered Nirvana. “Hyung, you’re a genius!” He cries, at a volume way too loud for the library. The pair gets a handful of shushes and a disapproving glare from the elderly librarian for the outburst but the younger pays them no heed. “If he wants a war then that’s what he’ll get. He won’t know what’s coming!”

“Good to know.” Mark reopens his book and buries his nose into the musty, yellowing pages where he last left off. Those damned curtains would prove to be the death of him. “Now scram so that I can do my revision in peace. Unlike you fluffy visual arts majors, I actually have to study in order to graduate. Now that’s blasphemy.”

 

* * *

 

Jae Bum throws open the door to the sports auditorium, where his best friend is shooting hoops at, and marches in furiously, setting his bag down on the bench with more force than necessary. “God, I hate Park Jin Young.” He huffs, planting himself next to his abused backpack. “One day, I swear, I’m going to stab him with a fork and it’ll all be in the name of self-defence.”

Jackson snorts as he dribbles past him, sneakers squeaking against the glossy wooden floor as he attempts an evasive manoeuvre. “Do I even want to know what happened this time?”

Jae Bum lets out a sound of disgruntlement as he thinks back on his exchange with the other visual arts major. “He’s such a stick in the mud. He had the audacity to challenge me, me, in the middle of class, on the relevance of oil painting. No one even thinks that’s relevant anymore in this century. What is he, pre-historic?”

With Jackson now out of earshot, Jae Bum jumps on his feet and joins the platinum blonde on court. “And then he went on to argue that in the future, no damn photo will cost a tenth of what Da Vinci and Angelo’s artwork do now,” He accepts the pass from the younger but instead of playing, simply stands there with the ball in both hands. “So like, on top of being stuck in the Renaissance age, he’s actually a mercenary as well? Spending tens of thousands of his parents’ hard-earned money to go to college just so that he can hope to reap in millions in the future?”

“You know,” Jae Bum makes a move to shoot, only to be hit with another thought, and stops again, much to the younger’s chagrin. “I actually share my Principles of Management and Business Administration classes with his best friend. Mark, Mark Tuan? I don’t understand how someone as nice as him can be friends with that pompous ass.”

Jackson makes a noise of frustration and eventually steals the ball from the elder, dribbling it languidly as he considers his next move. “Mark really is very nice though,” He murmurs, eyes fixated on the hoop, and proceeds to land a three-pointer. “Three points goes to Yonsei University thanks to their point guard, Wang Jackson. With this shot, Wang secures the team’s position in the championship finals; the crowd is on their feet!” He lets out a victorious whoop and jogs after the wayward ball.

Jae Bum harrumphs. “Really?” He demands, hands akimbo, “Is that all you got from my very long and lengthy rant?”

“Yeah?” Jackson returns to his best friend’s side, spinning the ball with one hand and brushing his fringe from his forehead with the other. He grins widely. “Was that not the main point?”

Jae Bum lets out a grunt. “You’re a terrible best friend to have. I’m disowning you.”

“No, terrible would be telling you that you most probably have some deeply suppressed attraction towards Jin Young and secretly get a kick out of having those banter sessions with him; thus, you’re always disturbing him. But I’m not saying any of that so I deduce I’m quite a decent friend to have.”

The blonde tosses the ball back into the equipment basket and picks up his duffle bag, already heading to the door as he taps furiously on the phone. “Now come on; I heard from Nam Joon that the cafeteria’s serving grilled chicken tacos today. Freaking grilled chicken tacos. I’ll be damned if it’s all sold out by the time we arrive.”

 

* * *

 

Midterms are over and it’s now Jin Young’s turn to be suffering. Mark’s over at the brunette’s dorm, rolling around on the bed as though it belongs to him and gloating while the younger camps at his work table and fusses over manifesting his inspiration to fulfil the theme for his next assignment.

Luckily, the blonde is great at entertaining himself and he types away on his phone while Jin Young slaves over his preliminary sketch. The room is silent save for the clacking of keyboard keys and the rhythmic drumming of the brunette’s fingers when Mark suddenly stops texting. “Uhm,” He clears his throat. “Jin Young?”

Jin Young adds two strokes to the abstract sketch he’s working on. “Hmm?”

“What do you think of Jackson Wang?”

It’s a weird question, but not the weirdest he’s ever received from the elder. Mark’s known to ask some seriously thought-provoking questions that make people reconsider their friendship with the blonde. The brunette rolls his eyes and erases off what he’d just drawn. “Did you interrupt me from a potentially productive work session to randomly survey me on our schoolmates? Since when did you become so nosy?”

“Just answer my question,” Mark grouses.

Jin Young sets his pencil down and pads over to the bed. “Scoot.” He commands, and the elder rolls over onto his belly to make space for the other on the narrow single bed. “Who were you asking about, again? Jackson?” Mark hums and Jin Young frowns, brows furrowing as he tries to picture a face to the name. “Ah, that really rambunctious basketball captain who’s also Im Jae Bum’s best friend?”

The blonde nods solemnly. Jin Young recalls the times the social butterfly’s distinct high-pitched laugh or booming voice will ring out in the cafeteria or across the campus. He’s also seen the other’s academic files, too, while alphabetically sorting out and categorising the documents in the metal cupboards in the student council room; Jackson Wang, despite all his athletic splendour, is a pretty average student. He wrinkles his nose, unable to formulate a distinct response. “He’s… Well, I don’t know. He’s okay, I guess.”

Mark lets out a nervous laugh. “Just okay?”

“What do you expect me to say? I haven’t had a chance to interact with him before.” Jin Young says apathetically. He stretches his arms above his head and relishes the welcoming burn in his cold, stiff muscles. “Oh god, that felt good.” He rolls his shoulders backwards in an attempt to loosen them, “Why are you bringing him up out of the blue?”

“I’ve been seeing him for the past month.” Mark blurts.

“Seeing as in dating?” The elder bites down on his lower lip. It’s enough of an answer for the younger. “Oh.” Jin Young goes still for a moment, and the blonde awaits his next move with bated breath. “That’s…” The brunette pauses, momentarily stumped. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Shit, he sounds hurt. Mark barely hides his wince. “Because he’s Jae Bum’s best friend and you don’t exactly have the best impression of him.”

“Yeah, but that’s just my personal vendetta with Jae Bum. It has nothing to do with Jackson.” The younger states plainly and Mark nearly snorts, because Jin Young is the King of Harbouring Grievances. The last time they’d went to Ben’s & Jerry’s, the cashier short-changed him $2 for his double-scoop waffle cone and he’s been boycotting the entire ice-cream chain ever since.

“So you’re not mad?” Mark asks in a timid voice. Truth be told, he is a little sore about being kept in the dark but the blonde’s twiddling his thumbs and pulling the innocent wide-eyed look (which he’d perfectly mastered to his advantage, damn it) and oh god, is that a pout on his plush lips? Honestly, how can anyone not succumb?

Jin Young groans and squishes the elder’s cheeks in his palms. “How can I, when you positively look like a harmless puppy all the time?”

Mark sniffs, kicked puppy expression switching into a neutral one at once. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He says blithely and climbs out of bed and heads for the door. “Now that the secret’s finally out, I’m announcing outright that I’m going to find my boyfriend. See you later.”

 

* * *

 

Jae Bum had spent the past three hours wandering around campus grounds trying to seek inspiration for both his next assignment as well as for the graduation project, whichever hits him first. The theme for the showcase is vague; he’d brainstormed a couple of ideas for it but eventually struck them all out. Some of them were too abstract, others too simple, and all lacked the oomph factor. But most importantly, it just wasn’t right.

Eventually, as the sun begins to disappear beyond the horizon, he declares the day an unsuccessful haul and decides to return to the off-campus apartment he shares with Jackson before it gets dark – he’d agreed to prepare dinner and doesn’t want to keep the younger waiting too long.

On the monotonous trek back, his mind drifts to his rival and he can’t help but wonder if the younger has started on his project yet. Knowing that uptight control freak he probably has, Jae Bum thinks with disdain, since he’s always hell-bent on trying to win me.

And he absolutely cannot let that happen this time; his entire college reputation is riding on this. Photography may be way less taxing and time-consuming than oil painting, but Jae Bum’s definitely beginning to feel the pressure already.

The redhead lets out a deep sigh of frustration and ruffles his hair into a huge bird nest of tangles and frizz. Leaving his hair in its messy state, he trudges up the stairs to the third floor. The long and narrow hallway doesn’t ease his frustration. He unlocks the door, barely taking notice of the never before seen pair of sneakers by his best friend’s favourite pair of Air Jordans, and slips into the apartment.

“Jacks–” He stops short, as he’s nudging his shoes off, when he finds the blonde with Mark Tuan (the one from his Principles of Management and Business Administration classes), red-faced and on opposite ends of the couch. “Mark? Hey. ‘Sup?”

The honey blonde nods shyly. “Hi.”

“What are you doing here?” Jae Bum pads to the living room, busy hands unwinding the thick woollen scarf from his neck. He tosses the garment carelessly onto the coffee table and sets his bag down by his feet. “I thought we were only going to get started on the project next week. Or did I get the date wrong?”

His eyes widen comically. “Shit. I did, didn’t I?” He stoops down and begins rummaging through his backpack. “I swear I noted it down in my planner. Have you been waiting for long? Even though it’s rather late I don’t mind getting started today, if you’re okay with it. You can stay for dinner and we can work on it afterwards.”

“No– I’m not– uhm,” Mark flushes even redder and looks towards Jackson for help. “We– uhm…”

The redhead stops ransacking his belongings and frowns – and realises, on hindsight, that the two of them have never done their projects outside school grounds before. They’ve always held their discussions and project meetings at the library and completed their assigned portions of work individually. Mark shouldn’t even know where he stays.

He’s about to point that out when his best friend cuts in first.

“Hey, Jae Bum hyung?” Jackson says abashedly. The younger is almost never this shy. When he is it’s because he’s either A) gotten himself into major trouble, B) requesting a favour from the elder, or C) all of the above.

The more he analyses the situation the more unsettled he feels. The atmosphere is oddly tense and unwelcoming, nothing like how things usually are when Jackson’s in the picture. He also realises now, with clarity, that the pair’s clothes look dishevelled and their hair is mussed up and they’ve got matching guilty looks on their faces. He narrows his eyes at the blonde and rises to his feet slowly. “Okay… What’s going on here, Jackson Wang?”

Jackson inhales sharply. The redhead, oddly, finds himself holding his breath in half-anticipation and half-dread. The other can be so completely unpredictable sometimes. “Whatifitoldyouiwasdatingmarktuan?”

Jae Bum blinks. Well, that had completely flown over his head. “What if you told me, what?”

With a steely, determined gaze, Jackson scoots over to Mark’s side and places his hand over the elder’s resting in his lap. The other momentarily startles, eyes widening to the size of saucers, before melting into the younger’s side naturally. “What if… What if I told you I was dating Mark?”

“I– uhm,” Mark looks down at his lap and chews on his bottom lip nervously. “I’m Jin Young’s best friend.” He adds timidly.

The mention of the testy visual arts major already leaves a bad aftertaste in Jae Bum’s mouth. “Yes, I know who Park Jin Young is,” He snaps testily. He regrets it immediately, however, when he sees the gentle boy flinches at his sharp tone and curls in on himself. Jackson pouts, upset on his beau’s behalf, and Jae Bum feels his conscience pricking him.

He sighs (he’s going to undergo accelerated aging with the amount of sighing he’s been doing lately) and turns to Jackson. “Jacks, you’ve heard me say this before. As much as I question your taste in best friends, Mark, you’re a great guy. I’ve got no objections with the two of you dating.”

Jackson’s shoulders sag in relief and he sneaks a peek at his best friend. Even Mark visibly relaxes. “Oh, thank god. I was worried you’d be mad.”

“Why would I be?” The redhead frowns incomprehensibly. “I might have a fiery temper but I’m not entirely unreasonable, Jackson. I’m glad you found someone whom you cherish and care about. I’m happy for you.”

This is coming from a guy who threatened to sock his best friend in the face after said best friend tried to consol him for co-winning first place with his mortal enemy for the Most Eligible Campus Bachelor online voting last year. (“Hey, at least you didn’t lose to him, you know!” The blonde had chirped.) Jackson might not be the best counsellor around, but he definitely does not deserve to be punched in the (handsome) face.

Jackson shrugs. He’s wise enough to know now that it is fruitless to argue with the stubborn redhead. He’d rather keep his facial features intact instead. “I know, but I just… Really like Mark a lot, you know?” The mention of Mark turns his cheeks pink and he scuffs his socked foot against the marble floor. The honey blonde looks absolutely awestruck at the revelation, gazing at Jackson with more adoration than Jae Bum has seen the younger look at organic green tea. “And as my best friend your opinion matters a lot to me.”

“I know, and I’m glad.” Jae Bum tells him seriously. “How long have you been seeing each other?”

The pair exchange glances, having a silent conversation with their eyes, before turning back to the redhead. “It’s been about a couple of weeks? That, uhm, that day you had that fight with Jin Young in class, we just went on our first date the night before.”

And then it all clicks. “So that’s why you were so eager to defend his honour, huh?” He goads. Jackson flushes an even darker shade of red and Jae Bum cackles.

“Are you’re blushing right now?” His best friend, the self-proclaimed Casanova and resident campus heartbreaker, is getting flustered over a boy. He’s witnessing a historical moment. “The Wild and Sexy Jackson Wang, blushing?”

Jae Bum preens at his verbal victory, and turns to leave for his bedroom to reward himself with a celebratory hot shower to warm his freezing toes. He should’ve known better that Jackson will never let him get the last word. “You do realise that now that Mark and I are dating, you’d probably be around Jin Young a lot more, right?”

The redhead freezes in his tracks. The blonde strolls by him leisurely and claps him on the back. “Good luck, bud.”

Cue the sound of shattering glass.

 

* * *

 

It’s a completely impromptu event when Mark calls him – thus effectively waking him up – on Saturday morning to ask if he’s free to hang out later on in the afternoon. Jin Young doesn’t question it and immediately agrees; between mounting piles of school assignments and dating his (high-maintenance) boyfriend, the blonde rarely has time solely spent with him anymore.

They meet at the main subway exit that leads to Hongdae shopping district. Mark is already there when he arrives, hopping from one foot to another while blowing on his cold-reddened hands.

“Why are you dressed so skimpily?” Jin Young says critically as he eyes the elder’s bomber jacket, sweater and skinny jeans combination. The news forecasted snow later in the evening and he’d been sensible enough to dig out his heavy woollen coat from the back of his closet. It was a wise decision. However, the same couldn’t be said for his best friend. “It’s still winter.”

He immediately starts unwinding his scarf and wrapping it around his Mark’s neck, tucking the loose ends into the sweater collar. The elder immediately makes a grunted sound of appreciation at the shared body warmth and buries his nose into the soft cashmere material.

“I didn’t expect it to be this cold, alright?” The blonde laments, voice partially muffled by the scarf, “Besides, we’ll be indoors for most part of the day and I don’t want to keep removing and re-wearing my extra layers; it’s annoying.”

It’s one Californian habit the elder can’t seem to get rid of. “And you’d rather freeze instead?”

Instead of answering, Mark turns on his heel and starts power-walking. He seems clear of where he’s headed, and Jin Young can only meekly trail behind the elder as they weave through the weekend crowd.

Despite being to Hongdae multiple times, the brunette doesn’t recognise the route they’re taking. “Where are we going?” He asks as the wide main roads give way to smaller, narrow back streets.

“There’s a dance battle taking place at the B-Boy Theatre.” The blonde stops to let an elderly woman pushing a mobile cart go past before cutting to the other side of the street. “Jackson’s already there.”

Jin Young hurries after the elder as he makes another abrupt turn around a corner. “Jackson dances?”

Mark checks both sides before making a right turn. “No, but Jae Bum does.”

Jin Young raises an eyebrow. This is new knowledge he hadn’t known before. “I didn’t know Jae Bum danced.”

Mark momentarily glances over, surprised, before turning back to focus on navigating. “I thought you knew everything about your rival.”

The brunette shrugs. It’s weird to be discussing intimate details of his rival, especially when he’s on the receiving end of the information. “I know the important bits, like how he’s fairing academically and which extracurricular activities he’s taking part in and the number of followers he has in Instagram (one thousand one hundred and sixteen – consisting mainly of giggly high school girls and fans of his chic and cool image – two hundred and twenty nine less than him), but why would I bother with his likes and interests?” He wrinkles his nose. “I don’t like him nor does he interest me.”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”

After another turn and two more alleyways, the pair stops infront of a non-descript building that could’ve easily passed off as one of the university administration buildings in the vicinity. “We’re here,” Mark chirps as he points to the signboard ahead, as well as his boyfriend – who, thankfully, is dressed much more sensibly – casually leaning against it. Jin Young stays behind to allow the couple some privacy as they exchanged greetings.

“Hey, babe,” The honey blonde slides his arm around the younger’s waist and draws him closer for a peck on the cheek. “Did you wait long?” He takes Jackson’s cold hands into his own and tucks them into his pockets. “You’re freezing; you should’ve gone inside first.”

Jin Young’s rolling his eyes internally at this; Mark really isn’t in any state to be fussing over someone else’s dressing.

“What took you guys so long?” Jackson whines, but returns the kiss with chapped lips. “It’s free seating today; the good spots would’ve all been taken up.”

“Blame him,” Mark jerks his thumb at his best friend who is still loitering in the background. “He was still sleeping when I called him this morning.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have informed him only today,” Jackson chides his boyfriend before turning to the brunette. “Hey, Jin Young.” Said boy waves his greeting. “I swear, I told him repeatedly to call you yesterday but as usual, he decided to wait till the last minute.”

The youngest boy snorts. “What’s new? He always procrastinates. It’s like the trademark of English majors or something.”

“Hey, you’re the last person who should be lecturing me on procrastination, alright?” Mark immediately protests. “It’s already mid-March and you still haven’t even started on your showcase project despite all your whining.”

“Really?” Jackson smirks, amused. “Jae Bum neither.”

Jin Young blinks as he processes the new piece of information. Well. Okay. He sure is learning a lot more about Jae Bum that he would care about today.

Unperturbed, Mark sends his best friend an accusatory glare. “See? Seems like procrastination is the trademark of visual arts majors instead. But at least Jae Bum doesn’t require someone to nag at him every other day.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t dare. That’ll be asking for a death wish.” The platinum guffaws. “Either way, you kids can continue fighting after the performance, alright? Let’s not be later than we already are. Come on.” He gathers both boys to his sides and herds them into the inviting warmth of the building.

 

* * *

 

They manage to secure seats in the reserved section after one of the bouncers recognises Jackson when they enter.

“I’ve basically befriended all of the staff here since I always come to support Jae Bum hyung at his competitions.” The blonde explains needlessly as the squeeze their way into their seats near the middle of the third row. “It’s pretty neat, really, because you get all these benefits.”

He greets more people along the way – even the quiet and introverted Mark does, sharing fist bumps with familiar faces and shyly waving to a couple of tizzy girls giggling at Jackson’s and his joint hands – and they plonk down on the three remaining seats in the row, the eldest sandwiched in between.

“This battle is different from others in the sense that it’s a one-time play-off. There’s only one single round and all four teams will be pitted against each other at one go. They’ll take turns to send up to four crew members onstage until their allotted showtime of ten minutes is up. After which, the judges’ scores will be averaged and tabulated and the winner announced.”

Jin Young nods dumbly. The eruptive atmosphere is already starting to make his head spin and his temples throb. The mainly female audience population, hot-blooded and very pitchy, doesn’t seem to be running out of energy anytime soon and he quickly zones out, tuning out the MC’s booming voice while he bellows his introduction. He only snaps back into reality when he feels a nudge in his side.

“Hey,” He looks over to the couple blankly. “It’s starting.” Jackson half-shouts over the crowd’s fierce chanting, “Jae Bum hyung’s crew won the tossup so they’re going first.” The platinum blonde is so excited he’s practically bouncing in his seat, unable to remain still. The music starts and the blonde lets out a loud whoop, turning back to the stage. “Go Jae Bum!”

Jin Young squints past the bright glare and sees a tall figure climb up onto the stage, two steps at a time. He’s in an oversized tee and loose sweatpants, a snapback pulled low over his lowered head and shielding his eyes from the harsh stage lights, but as he raises his chin – to the cue of the music – his features become visible. Jin Young sees the strong jaw and multiple glistening jewellery pieces adorning his ears and knows, undeniably, that it’s Jae Bum headlining the team. The other has always had that commanding, charismatic presence about him.

Jae Bum doesn’t start off easy. He immediately begins with a freeze before smoothly transitioning into a 2000. There’s a particularly aesthetic way he dances, each move bearing its own musicality and grace, that blows Jin Young’s previous notions and prejudices of the genre being brutish and clumsy out of the water.

And his jaw literally drops when the elder executes a series of windmills. “Woah.”

Mark’s grin is annoyingly devious. “He’s good, isn’t he?”

“He’s not bad.” Jin Young says loftily without looking at the elder. He refuses to give the blonde the time of the day by admitting that yes, Jae Bum really is very good.

The brunette himself has dabbled a bit with the underground dance scene before, but he’s never trained professionally and participated in competitions with a dance crew. He vaguely wonders how Jae Bum has the time to, when he’s involved in as many school commitments as he is, before dismissing the thought as irrelevant.

He should really stop thinking about his rival so much today. It’s at aggravatingly unhealthy levels.

(Though, he has to admit – albeit begrudgingly – that Jae Bum must have some really out-of-the-world time management skills in order to do so.)

He zones out again after Jae Bum finishes his turn. As phenomenal as their skills may be, the other dancers don’t interest him at all; he’s literally only here to keep an eye on his rival and now that his part is over, he can’t wait for the competition to be over. He sits there in his drowsy, half catatonic state through the rest of the performances and even through the intermittent break for the judges to deliberate, even as Mark and Jackson slip out of the row to chat up more people.

And then everyone’s back on stage again and the re-energised crowd is louder and more zealous than ever, catcalling the names of their favourite teams and dancers. Jin Young finds himself strangely rooting for Jae Bum – purely because from a completely impartial point of view, he thinks the elder’s team definitely faired the best of the four groups – and when the redhead’s crew is announced as the eventual winner, he joins the rest of the crowd on their feet clapping and cheering.

 

* * *

 

It’s a mess of spectators, friends and supporters mingling about on the dancefloor after the competition draws to an end. Jin Young nearly loses his way elbowing through the mass of people, trailing behind Jackson and Mark who seem to know exactly where they’re headed. They find Jae Bum and his crew at the far corner away from majority of the crowd, shaking hands, exchanging hugs and accepting well-wishes.

Jackson bounds up to his best fsriend and jumps onto him, winding his arms and legs around the older boy like a human anaconda. He immediately starts raving, firing his mouth off at a thousand words a minute. “Hyung! You were so awesome! Those aerials were hella on point! I told you that using the Bjorn remix was good! You should never question my taste in music. Do you believe me now?”

Jae Bum stumbles a couple of steps back before he adjusts to the additional weight. “Hey, Jacks,” He greets, laughing. His hands tuck under the blonde’s bottom and hoist him up. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll listen to your suggestions more from now on, alright? Thanks.”

The younger boy climbs off his best friend when Mark and Jin Young approach. The eldest gives the redhead a mandatory hug and fist bump as well, before he gets pulled away by his boyfriend to greet the rest of the crew. It leaves the pair of rivals behind.

Jae Bum clears his throat awkwardly but doesn’t seem to be able to find the right words to speak. Eventually, it’s the brunette who breaks the uncomfortable silence.

“So…” Jin Young drawls. “How’s your project coming along?”

Jae Bum cocks an eyebrow. He runs a hand through his coppery locks, damp and slick with perspiration, looking as arrogant as ever. “Of course I’ve made significant progress.”

“Please.” Jin Young rolls his eyes at the blatant lie and crosses his arms over his chest. “You might want to match your alibis next time, because Jackson said that you haven’t started.” And he’s glad the platinum blonde did, because otherwise he might’ve wholeheartedly believed the elder and stressed himself over nothing. He stares straight at Jae Bum challengingly and feels a wave of satisfaction course through him when he sees the redhead flinch.

The elder grits his teeth. He’s going to murder Jackson and make it look like an accident. “Then why did you even bother to ask in the first place?” He can feel his blood pressure rising already simply from being within breathing range of the aggravating brunette.

The brunette shrugs indifferently. “I don’t know. As a phatic expression, I guess? Or just plain courtesy, perhaps. I don’t know anything else about you to ask much.” Lies, inner Jin Young is rolling on the floor, roaring with laughter.

“You could’ve just chosen to keep quiet.” Jae Bum mutters darkly. His previous good mood is all but ruined and Jackson doesn’t seem to be coming to his rescue any time soon. “Instead you had to waste my saliva to reply your irrelevant question.”

“Well excuse me for being a social creature with actual manners. I don’t ignore someone’s entire presence just because I don’t like sharing the same air as them.” Jin Young snaps. “Or is that too much to ask of you, you uncultured Neanderthal?”

Jae Bum’s nostrils flare. “Why are you always trying to pick a fight with me?”

“Why can’t you lead your life like other decent human beings so that there isn’t so much wrong in you to critique?” Jin Young shoots back readily.

“Fuck you, Park Jin Young,” Jae Bum seethes. His fists are curled by his sides and the tension is visible in his tautly clenched jaw. Jin Young gulps. Given his notoriously fiery temper, perhaps it hadn’t been a good idea to provoke the redhead to this extent. Behind Jae Bum, Mark and Jackson hover worriedly, ready to intervene if the elder gets violent.

Jae Bum loosens out the kinks in his neck but (thankfully) remains in his spot. “I just won a dance competition and would like to celebrate the moment with my friends and loved ones. If you don’t have anything nice to say I’d appreciate if you would just fuck off and not ruin my mood.”

Mark immediately comes forward and slings a casual arm over the brunette’s shoulders. “Yeah, we’ve made prior plans so we’ll be heading off first. Once again, congrats on the win, Jae Bum. Call me out for a celebratory dinner soon, yeah? It’ll be my treat.” He gives the redhead a fist bump before leaning over and giving his boyfriend a kiss. “Have fun, babe, and call me when you get home, alright?”

“See ya!” He salutes the pair cheekily before rapidly dragging his best friend towards the exit.

 

* * *

 

Mark and Jin Young are cuddled in bed in the elder’s dorm room. The blonde’s head is resting on the other’s stomach, rising and falling with each breath he takes.

Mark has his earphones plugged in and is watching random videos on the Internet, eyes trained on the tiny figures dancing across the LED screen. Jin Young, on the other hand, holds up a thick book of literature in one hand and absently runs his fingers through the elder’s blonde locks with the other.

Halfway through his movie, Mark scoots further up the bed, closer to his best friend, and rests his head on the brunette’s shoulder. He pauses the video and tugs one side of his earphones out. “Hey, Jin Young?”

The younger boy shifts himself lower to accommodate the other’s new posture. “Yes, hyung?”

“You know how we’re on spring break next week, right?”

The way he drawls and drags out the last syllable makes him seem to be onto something. Jin Young closes his book and sets it on the nightstand and turns to the elder. “Yeah. What about it?”

“Jackson and I are planning to go to Yeouido Han River Park to see cherry blossoms.” His best friend says pleasantly in a smooth, well-rehearsed speech. “Do you want to come with?”

“And be a third wheel while the two of you ignore me to be in your romantic little bubble?” The brunette snorts. “No thank you.”

Mark’s lip curls. “Hey, we’re not that bad, alright? We do know how to control ourselves when we’re in public.”

“Are you kidding me?” Jin Young says incredulously. Sometimes, he really wonders if the blonde really is as oblivious as he appears and most of the time, his best friend proves his theory right. “Your boyfriend is a freaking human koala. He clings onto you.”

“Debatable.” The elder sniffs. “And you want to see the flowers, don’t you? I don’t want you to go alone.” Mark pulls a long face, one that he knows the brunette cannot defend himself against. “Please come along with us.”

Jin Young sighs. He’s always weak when it comes to rejecting his best friend. “Fine,” He huffs reluctantly, but in his mind he’s already planning out his outfit of the day (If he’s already going to look like a loser tagging along with a couple on a cherry blossom date, he might as well be a fashionable loser). “But you owe me for this, alright?”

Alarm bells should’ve sounded in the brunette’s head at Mark’s wolfish grin.

 

* * *

 

Jackson pops by Jae Bum’s bedroom when the elder’s on his laptop editing the pictures for his newest assignment. The blonde invites himself in and throws himself on the bed, pillowing his head on his crossed arms. “Hey hyung, Mark and I want to go to Yeouido Han River Park to see the cherry blossoms later. Do you want to come with?”

“I wasn’t aware that my name has changed to Im Play Gooseberry Jae Bum overnight.” Jae Bum says sarcastically, not peeling his eyes off his computer screen. He toggles with a few contrast settings and nearly coos at the voluminous effect it gives the photos. “I’ll pass, thanks.”

Jackson whines and sits up. “Oh, come on, hyung. Don’t be such a wet blanket! It’ll be a good opportunity to seek inspiration! You want to win Jin Young in the competition, don’t you?”

It is a low move, but it had to be pulled. Jae Bum grits his teeth and turns to the younger sharply. “Of course I do!”

“Then come with us!” Jackson urges, sitting up and bouncing on the mattress eagerly. “It’ll be fun!”

The redhead hits the save button and closes his photo editor application, stretching his arms over his head. He lets out a purr of satisfaction when the stiff joints in his neck and shoulders pop. He supposes he can take a breather; he has been cooped up in his bedroom all day, after all. “You just want someone who will help you take couple pictures for free. I know you, Jackson Wang.”

The younger grins, but doesn’t deny. “If and when Mark and I ever get married in the future we’ll be sure to feature your pictures! We’ll even give you a special mention for your efforts!”

Jae Bum rolls his eyes as he shuts down his laptop. “Just buy me coffee next time.”

 

* * *

 

 

Twenty minutes later, the pair arrives at their destination. It’s relatively sunny when they step out from the subway station, and their stroll to the park is cooling and pleasant and drenched in the scent of blooming flowers.

Jae Bum’s snapping pictures in all directions. The riverside was absolutely scenic, with majestic cherry blossom tree adorning both sides of every pathway that rained a shower of baby pink petals with each passing breeze. As reluctant as he is to admit, Jackson was right about finding inspiration for the showcase. Springtime is truly beautiful.

“Mark should be here anytime now…” The blonde murmurs as he browses through his phone notifications. He’s about to make a call when he spots a familiar face in the distance. “Oh, there he is!” He crows in delight, waving at the flood of people emerging from the subway station. “Baby, over here!”

The crowd parts to show two distinctively slim figures approaching from the opposite direction. The more petite one was dressed in an oversized khaki military jacket – that matched his honey blonde hair perfectly – over a plain tee, skinny jeans and high-top sneakers combo.

The other person, though, the one with jet black hair, had on a black and white striped turtle neck and light washed denim, finished with a camel trench coat and fucking loafers. Jae Bum does a double take. Who the fuck even wears loafers in spring?

He stops in his tracks and squints, and– oh, of course. It has to be that pretentious prick. “What the fuck is Park Jin Young doing here?” He growls at his traitorous best friend, “Jackson Wang, explain yourself. What is the meaning of this?”

The blonde still had the cheek to grin. “Well, you did say you didn’t want to feel like being a lightbulb, so we decided to ask someone else along to accompany you!”

How his best friend even fathoms this to be a good idea, he will never understand. “Of all ten million people living in Seoul, you decided to invite Park Jin Young along? You know I abhor his existence!”

“He’s not that bad once you get to know him,” The younger reasons.

“He literally called me an uncultured Neanderthal, Jackson. He has zero intention of getting to know me and fortunately, the feeling is mutual.” Jae Bum begins dismantling his camera and storing the different parts in their respective compartments in his camera bag. “I’m leaving.”

Jackson catches the elder by the arm and pulls out his most lethal weapon – his wide-eyed puppy look. “Try to get along with him for Mark and my sake, please?”

Jae Bum grunts. “You really owe me that damned coffee for this.”

 

* * *

 

They somehow ended up straggling behind Mark and Jackson as they powers on ahead, lost in their own world and oblivious to the storm broiling behind them.

It feels more like they’re on bodyguard duty – or in Jae Bum’s case, supervising duty – with the way they’re observing Mark and Jackson while remaining careful to keep a respectful distance away from the couple to give them their privacy. That, and also the fact that they do not want to be within earshot while they whisper diabetic sweet nothings to each other. It’s mildly traumatising to see your best friend act so out of character.

Jae Bum doesn’t know what to say to ease the tension, but as much as he wants to escape from the awkward situation, it’s not like he can run along and stick himself between the lovebirds and leave Jin Young to walk by himself. He’s not that uncultured of a Neanderthal.

Jin Young eyes the camera slung across the redhead’s shoulder and cocks an eyebrow. “Finally gonna work on the project?”

Jae Bum smirks. He’s much more prepared with a proper comeback this time and the confidence shows in his tone and stance. “Why, feeling threatened because you still haven’t gotten started?”

Jin Young snorts, and toes at a pebble that lies in his path. “Haven’t you heard of the story of the tortoise and the hare? Slow and steady wins the race.”

It was a wild guess and the redhead definitely did not expect to hit the nail right on the head, but it seems the younger boy really hasn’t gotten started on his project after all. Just the simple thought of it makes his Inner Jae Bum rub his hands in glee. “Just don’t go begging the professor for a deadline extension when you run out of time. I– Oh.”

Jin Young looks up, confused, to see the elder holding his camera up to his face, clicking away intensely. When he’s done, Jae Bum pulls up the preview on the tiny LED screen and shows it to Jin Young.

“Wow,” The brunette breathes.

It’s Mark and Jackson. Their pinkies are hooked, inconspicuously, as they walk close enough for their shoulders and sides to brush against each other with every step they take. They’re grinning at each other, hopeful smiles that speaks of silent, unwavering promises, and there’s a look of absolute adoration in Mark’s glistening eyes that Jin Young has never seen before. Jin Young has never seen the elder this happy before, not when he’d aced the final he was most certain he was going to fail nor when he’d received news from America that his eldest sister had given birth to a healthy daughter and that he was now an uncle. He’d been delighted then, yes, but he’d never glowed as though pure happiness was exuding from within him. And the source of that happiness is Jackson. Jackson is the perfect mould that filled up the hole in Mark’s heart.

From the similar look of awe, it is safe to assume that Jae Bum has never seen Jackson this content before either, and it warms Jin Young to know that their best friends found their missing puzzle pieces in their other half.

The exchange of tender gazes between the pair had been a fleeting moment, so quick the brunette had barely caught it with his naked eye, yet Jae Bum was able to capture that memory and eternalise it with the flash of a shutter.

“What do you think?” There’s cat-like satisfaction lacing the elder’s tone that Jin Young can’t find fault in. An artist’s work, after all, is his pride and joy. “Photography isn’t all too bad, is it?”

“It is pretty cool,” He begrudgingly accedes, eyes still trained on the still image, mesmerised. He’s always envied this instantaneous aspect of modern art, something that can never be achieved with traditional art forms, but he’ll rather die than admit it to the likes of Im Jae Bum. “I still like oil painting the best though.” He adds stubbornly.

“I know it absolutely kills your ego to admit that you’re wrong, so it’s okay. I will be the bigger person instead.” The way Jae Bum looks at him is sympathetic and honestly very degrading, enough for his temper to flare up, but Jin Young forces down his pride and turns away.

“Whatever.” The younger huffs. It’s a pathetic comeback, if it can even be called one, but he’s grateful when the subject gets dropped. He hates that he’s acting like a sourpuss; Jae Bum, even at such a young age, is leading a passionate and driven life doing everything he loves and is good at. Jin Young, on the other hand, only has under his belt his pair of talented hands, a string of measly school achievements and a creditable reputation amongst his peers and juniors. He might have the more impressive resume, but behind the glitz and glamour there’s nothing lasting to his name.

And the more they spend time with each other, the more it makes their differences seem even more polarised than they already are. Jin Young can’t help but mask his striking inferiority behind his piercing gazes and sharp tongue, the elder involuntarily becoming his outlet to release his negative emotions.

The further they venture into the park, the farther they drift away from Mark and Jackson. Eventually, the couple get so ahead they disappear from sight, leaving their best friends to fend for themselves.

They continue walking silently until Jae Bum decides to take a momentary break under the cooling shadow of a blossom tree. The redhead takes a deep breath and closes his eyes as he feels the slightest stirring of a breeze. He tilts his head to the sky, and a tiny, content smile creeps onto his face as he smells and feels the rain of flower petals around him.

He looks so happy and at peace with himself that Jin Young lets his guard down as well. There’s something that’s been niggling him since their last encounter that the brunette desperately wants to get off his chest, and he figures that there wouldn’t be any better time than now. Here goes nothing. “Hey, uhm, Jae Bum…?”

The redhead peaks an eye open to spare the younger a brief glance. “What?”

The sudden attention that’s turned on him makes his cheeks heat up and he looks away hurriedly. Suddenly, the patch of mimosa growing by the side of the concrete pathway had never looked more interesting. He toes it with the tip of his shoe. “I, uhm, wanted to apologise for what I said to you the previous time. It was really uncalled for.”

Jae Bum slowly opens both eyes and straightens up, looking serious. “You’re apologising to me? You, Park Jin Young, apologising to me, Im Jae Bum? The sky must be falling down.” He fumbles for his phone in his pocket. “Do you think you can repeat that? I want to have it recorded down.”

“Yah,” Jin Young grouses, and punches the elder in the shoulder. Jae Bum whines, curling his lip in disdain, and quickly moves out of target range before the brunette can land another hit. “Don’t push your luck, alright?”

 

* * *

  

 **29/05/2016**  
**From: +82 106 9409 2294 (Unknown Sender)**

Jae Bum, this is Jin Young.  
Will you be available to meet me this week?

 

* * *

 

Jae Bum rereads the text message he’s received before he warily steps into the dusty classroom tucked at the very end of the corridor on the top floor of the arts faculty building. Despite having studied in the school for the past four years he’d never been to this wing of the building before. His major gave him the freedom of materialising his inspiration and visions without being tied down, and the only times he needed to come to this building was to make a trip to the dark room or to submit his assignments in his professor’s office.

He’d almost gotten lost trying to find the secluded location, too, since he’d accidentally wandered off into an unfamiliar territory while being engrossed in taking pictures before coming by.

The deserted classroom is stacked full of wooden crates and random paraphernalia. Easels holding half-completed pieces littered the newspaper-lined floor, surrounded by paint palettes and brushes of various sizes and tubes in rainbow shades. The redhead shuffles forward, and the tip of his sneaker accidentally knocks over an empty metal can.

“Jae Bum?” A disembodied voice startles him.

“Jin Young?” He receives no response to that question, but he can practically picture the other rolling his eyes in exasperation. Duh. “Where are you?”

“Round the back,” goes the voice again.

Jae Bum takes special care not to knock anything over with his backpack or bulky camera as he navigates his way around the art stands and paint supplies. The narrow makeshift walkway lined with crates opens up into another room, hidden from plain sight, and in the middle of it sits his archenemy behind one of the many pottery stools. There’s a lump of clay sitting on the wheel, spinning slowly as Jin Young gently moulds it into something that resembles a flower vase.

“Why did you call me here?”

The brunette doesn’t answer immediately. Instead, he exerts more pressure on the pedal and allows his nimble hands to refine its shape. Once satisfied, he releases the pedal under his foot and wipes his brow with the back of his hand and looks up at the elder. “I want to gift Mark and Jackson something for their 100th day anniversary since it’s coming up soon. What’s better than personally making one since I’m talented in crafts?”

“Okay, but why does that involve me?”

“Because I want to hear your input!” Jin Young says plainly, as though he’s trying to explain to a young child. He picks up a carved blade and begins etching a pattern on the side of the vase with a steady hand. “I was thinking of making them either couple mugs, or perhaps a plaque with their initials. What do you think?”

Jae Bum shrugs unhelpfully. “Mark’s your best friend.” He says flatly, but guilt nips at his conscience for forgetting. Jackson’s always remembered every important date of his, no matter how many or how small, yet he’d let this significant milestone slip his mind.

Jin Young sends him another condescending look, all while keeping an eye on his creation. “Yeah well, but Jackson’s yours.”

Jae Bum settles down on a relatively clean stool and casually tosses his backpack onto the ground by his feet, camera perched on his lap. He runs his fingers over his beloved camera subconsciously as he contemplates and eventually decides to edit and compile the photographs from Yeouido Park and gift the couple their wedding present early.

“Jackson…” He begins slowly, as he thinks about his loud, vivacious best friend, “He’s always been a big softie and a romantic at heart. Couple mugs would be perfect. He’ll love it.”

When he doesn’t get a reply from the younger he looks up from where he’s tracing the non-slip grip of his camera and finds Jin Young looking at him, quietly scrutinising his actions. His eyes are dark and the look in them is hooded and indecipherable. It’s unsettling, because the elder feels as though he’s being taken apart piece by piece, insecurities and secrets unravelled and laid bare before the brunette.

Jae Bum clears his throat and picks up his camera and begins taking pictures randomly when the silence becomes stiflingly awkward. Jin Young ignores his tottering and focuses on carving the pattern on his vase. Eventually, the redhead runs out of objects to photograph and sits back down. The younger bustles about finishing up the vase and sets it aside for kiln-firing before scooping a new lump of clay onto his wheel.

Then, an ingenious idea pops into his mind and he turns to the completely focussed brunette. Jin Young would absolutely hate it, but he can’t do anything with his hands and concentration occupied. After discreetly adjusting the aperture settings to the correct portrait mode, he slowly raises his camera to eye level.

The shutter goes off but the younger pays no heed until he realises belatedly that the clicking sounds are directed at him. “Yah, what are you doing?” He says accusatorily, but like Jae Bum predicted he can’t look away from the new vase he’s shaping. “Are you taking pictures of me?”

“I was, and boy do you look ugly.” Jae Bum says snidely.

“Yah!” Jin Young stops the wheel then and roughly wipes his hands on a damp washcloth. He reaches for the camera, but Jae Bum deftly swipes it away and keeps it out of the younger’s grubby, clay-stained hands. “Im Jae Bum! Delete the picture!”

“Keep your grimy hands off my baby, you twerp,” The redhead says grumpily. He uses one hand to his precious camera above his head, out of reach from Jin Young who’s still trying to reach for it on his tippy toes futilely, while the other curved tightly around the younger’s hip, keeping the furious boy at arm’s length.

They only realise the close proximity of their positions when the brunette leans in further, placing his hand on Jae Bum’s shoulder for leverage, and feels the elder’s breath ghost the side of his cheek. They spring apart, dusty rose pink gracing the apples of their cheeks, and Jae Bum jerks his hand away like he’s been scalded.

Jin Young doesn’t know why he’s feeling lightheaded. It should be his blood pressure that is skyrocketing instead, since he has to deal with yet another one of the elder’s stubborn and childish antics, yet his heart is thundering rapidly as though he’d just completed a marathon. Has Jae Bum always looked this stunning from this angle or was it only because he’s never seen the elder up close?

He stomps his foot childishly to dissipate the tension that had only grown with each passing second of avoiding each other’s gazes. “Yah, Im Jae Bum, you better delete that picture.” He demands. He nearly winces at his horribly pitchy and unnatural voice; he’s never felt this out of his element before. “I’ll murder you in your sleep.”

“I’d like to see you try, Park Jin Young.” Jae Bum challenges. His grin is irritatingly smug and devious, eyes piercing, and the brunette quickly looks away before his face can get any hotter. “I promise I won’t develop it and use it for target practice, alright?”

Jin Young watches, gobsmacked, as the elder quickly dismantles his camera and packs it into his bag. He swings his backpack over his shoulder with one hand and takes out his ringing phone with the other in a single smooth motion. He taps on a few icons and places it to his ear. “Yes, Jackson, I’m on the way. Give me five minutes.”

I’m going, Jae Bum mouths to the brunette and, with a dismissive wave, slips out of the room quietly.

 

* * *

 

Mark finds Jin Young cooped up the most secluded corner of the library.

“Hey,” The elder raps his knuckles against the hard table, gaining the attention of his best friend as well as disapproving glares from other students. “Are you going to the auditorium for the match?”

It had wasted him quite a lot of time to try to track the younger down (who even turned his phone off) since the table is even farther away from their usual spot. It’s as though the brunette is deliberately doing this so as not to be found, and the blonde is certain he isn’t over-thinking things when his best friend replies with a seemingly innocent, “What match?” that drives the last nail in the coffin.

Mark slaps both palms on the table and leans down to stick his face into the younger’s personal space. “The interschool basketball finals against KU that you personally announced on the school radio broadcast earlier today. You’ve got to try harder if you want to fool me, Park Jin Young.”

“I’ve got too many things on my mind to keep track of everything, okay,” The brunette protests, feebly, as he gestures to the stacks of abandoned event plans scattered across the table. “Anyway, why would I want to watch the match? Unlike you, I don’t have a boyfriend I need to support and I’ve got better things to do than watch Im Jae Bum.”

The elder blinks, before a Cheshire cat grin grows and threatens to split his face. Realising his folly, Jin Young groans internally and regrets the day he met and befriended the blonde. “Now, now, who mentioned anything about Jae Bum or boyfriends? Aren’t you all about school spirit, Mr. Student Council President?”

Mark haphazardly grabs Jin Young’s textbooks and lecture materials and begins tossing them into his backpack and swinging it over his shoulder. “Come on, the match is about to start. You don’t want to miss it when Jae Bum catches the first jump ball.”

The brunette splutters as he chokes on his saliva.

“What makes you so sure he would even catch it,” Jin Young grumbles under his breath reluctantly. Nevertheless, he swiftly gathers the rest of his belongings and scurries after the blonde.

 

* * *

 

“You look like death warmed over,” Is the first thing Jae Bum comments when he approaches the elder after the match.

Jin Young fails miserably at resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “Why thank you for pointing that out, captain obvious.” He says sarcastically, the lack of sleep making him more irritable than usual and he isn't in the mood to deal with the elder's snide remark. “You might not be able to understand, since you can't relate, but unlike photography, painting actually takes time and effort to craft. I’ve been staying back in the art room every single day for the past week to finish the piece for the showcase.”

"Touché," The redhead smirks. “So much for slow and steady wins the race, huh? Just make sure you don’t collapse from exhaustion before the actual showcase. It wouldn’t be fun if I can’t rub my victory in your face.”

Jin Young can’t stop the yawn that rises up his throat at the mention of rest and he stifles it with the back of his hand. “You think you’re going to win, but like all your other opinions, you’re wrong. I am going to completely trounce you. You won’t know what’s hit you when I steal that prize from right under your nose.”

“Oh yeah?” A dangerous glint flashes in Jae Bum’s eyes and it sends a thrilling shiver up the younger’s spine. Suddenly he’s wide awake, sharp and alert, the lethargic fatigue bled from his veins as though it had never been there. The redhead takes a step towards him and folds his arms across his chest and Jin Young echoes this action. “What makes you so certain you will win? You don’t even know what I have up my sleeve.”

Jin Young refuses to back down, matching the elder with a step closer of his own until their arms are almost touching. “Because I’m Park Jin Young. And Park Jin Young never loses to Im Jae Bum.”

They’re so, so close and the tension between them is electrifying as they stare wordlessly into each others’ eyes, neither of them willing to yield. Eventually, it’s Jae Bum’s teammate calling out to him to take a group picture that makes the elder look away first.

The redhead drops his arms to his sides and walks away without looking back. Jin Young is left in his wake, feeling oddly disappointed.

 

* * *

 

The auditorium buzzes with anticipation. Students from all faculties and majors have gathered in the makeshift exhibition hall, some as avid supporters and others simply out of sheer curiosity. There were even students from other universities who’d flocked down to witness what was touted as the showdown of the year.

The showcase participants are lined up in a row by the stage next to their mentors. There’s only five of them in total this year – one each as a representative of their expertise – as everyone else decided to opt out. Because really, everyone knew the real competition lays between the two legendary rivals.

The participants present their hard work one by one until only the two of them are left on stage. _Talk about saving the best for last_ , Jae Bum thinks morosely. The judges just wanted to retain the crowd for as long as possible to make the event sound more hyped up than it actually is. If it hadn’t been for the two of them headlining the lineup, no one would even bother to give the annual visual arts showcase a second glance, much less turn up to show their support; the faculty has always been looked down upon as something impractical and naively idealistic.

“Park Jin Young, Im Jae Bum,” The guest judge, a short, stocky man with a booming voice and overflowing charisma and the head curator at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, addresses the pair, “I’ve heard many great things about you two; I’m definitely looking forward to what you have in store for us. Which one of you wants to go first?”

From the corner of their eye, they can see Mark and Jackson standing by the corner of the stage, urging them on encouragingly. Neither of them had seen any of the works, their best friends acting suspiciously secretive whenever the topic of the showcase was brought up, and they’re as eager for this reveal as the rest of the school is.

“Me,” Jin Young pipes up and hurries down the steps, only for the elder to push past him in wide strides.

“No, I’ll go first,” Jae Bum growls.

They reach their works at the same time, fingers curling around the edge of the black cloth, and, determinedly gazes locked fiercely, even before the judge can give the countdown they tug the flannel off simultaneously.

It takes three whole seconds for the pin-drop silent auditorium to let out a collective gasp, and those precious few moments were sufficient for both of them to process what their eyes were seeing.

Sitting on the pedestal in 20 x 24 is a portrait painted in muted, pastel watercolours with breathtaking life-likeness – of a stubborn, handsome student photographer whose short temper often gets ahead of him, eyes closed and cheek tilted up to the cloudless sky under a cherry blossom tree in full bloom. Every feature is captured in startling accurate and fine detail, from his chiseled jawline to the two moles below his left brow to the serene contentment washing over his face as he enjoys the cool spring breeze causing the feathery petals rain from the trees down onto the pedestrians below. Some had landed in his hair, caught between strands of tousled coppery brown, while others fall around him in a shower of soft powder pink.

Jae Bum has never seen himself depicted in such a light.

And on the other side of the exhibition hall, mounted on the whitewashed wall, is a S12R photograph in high definition of a boy sitting on a low stool hunched over a potter’s wheel. His red and white chequered apron is dotted with messy splatters of clay as are his cheeks and sides of his otherwise flawlessly unmarred face. Multiple frown lines mark his forehead, eyebrows nearly meeting in the centre, and his eyes burn with determination as they focus on his large veined hands delicately moulding a pile of ruddy clay into art. Evening light filters from behind the brunette, crowning his head in an ethereal glow. He looks otherworldly.

The main judge blinks, owl-eyed and tongue tied. “Ah… Oh, well, this is a little surprising. It seems that both students have chosen to capture a person in their art as their answer to the theme. Interesting… Very interesting indeed.”

They’re no longer looking at their respective art pieces but at each other with their mouths slightly agape. In the background, hanging from the wall by the side the banner, bearing the theme of the year _What Drives You?_ printed in big, bold letters against white fabric, flutters.

Then Jin Young turns on his heel and bolts out of the auditorium.

 

* * *

 

“Jin Young, Jin Young! Park Jin Young!” Jae Bum finally catches up to the younger boy – bless his parents for gifting him longer legs – and grabs him by the wrist, causing the brunette to spin around. “Where are you going?”

“What was that about?” Jin Young blurts, without preamble, the first thing that comes to mind.

Jae Bum snorts. “I was about to ask you the same.”

The brunette can’t wrap his mind around the information he’d just been served. “You… took a picture of me.” He says slowly. “When I was working on Mark and Jackson’s anniversary gift. It… It was that picture that I tried to make you erase, but you didn’t.”

The older boy nods. “And you painted a picture of me. From that time we went to see cherry blossoms last spring.”

Jin Young barely masks the wince that crosses his face and looks away. “Yeah. I have no idea why I did that.”

It is all a mistake. He regrets letting his emotions get the better of him and now he feels like an idiot. Jae Bum’s never going to let him live this moment down. Heck, the entire student body isn’t going to let him live this moment down. It’s going to be marked as his eternal shame in the school’s history for generations to come. He can never step foot into campus grounds without being ridiculed ever again. He shouldn’t–

The elder tucks his finger under his chin and tilts his face up. He gasps. He stumbles backwards, away from the touch, until his back hits the wall, and Jae Bum matches him with every step until he’s being enclosed by the redhead towering over him and his arms on each side of his head.

“Do you, really?” The glint of challenge in Jae Bum’s eyes is unmistakable. His gaze is dark and hooded and Jin Young feels his breath catch in his throat. His heart is hammering rapidly in his ribcage and all he can hear is the sound of blood rushing to his ears. “Because I know very well why I did that.”

“W–Why?” Jin Young stammers.

Im Jae Bum and Park Jin Young had been rivals the moment they stepped into this school. They’d gone head to head in terms of everything, from having the best academic grades to organising the most exciting freshman orientation camps and having the most extra-curricular achievements and throwing the grandest post-exam parties.

They were legendary.

“Because I’m in love with you, Park Jin Young.” The elder laughs, self-degradingly, and the ringing in Jin Young’s ears grow in volume. “I don’t know when it started. Perhaps it’d been when you debated with me, in the middle of lecture in front of the entire class, over the relevance of oil paintings in the 21st century. Or it could’ve been that time during the b-boy dance battle when your voice, your cheers, soared distinctively above the others’ in the mass of people in the crowd. It could’ve even been from that very moment our eyes met as we stood in front of the notice board, three years ago, checking the list of freshmen who made it onto the Dean’s List.”

“But, that moment,” The elder raises a shaky hand and points to the auditorium, “That moment in the dingy art room with just the two of us, where you were quietly working away at one potter’s wheel and I was perched on another just observing the clay streaking your porcelain cheeks and the soft backlight streaming through the grimy windows framing your head like a fucking halo…”

“My heart had never thumped faster in my life.” Jae Bum releases a stuttered breath. “That was when I knew.”

He takes a hesitant step towards the younger and brings his hand up to cradle the brunette’s face. “I lose, Jin Young ah.” He gently runs the pad of his thumb over the younger’s porcelain skin as the first drops of crystal roll down his cheeks. “I admit defeat. I’ve lost. You’ve brought me to my knees like no one else ever has.”

Jin Young’s own eyes shine with unshed tears as he looks up to match the elder’s gaze with trepidation. “If that’s the case then I’ve lost too.” He says hoarsely. His chest remains heavy despite the revelation and it’s suffocating. “You’ve succeeded in getting under my skin and worming into my heart. And for once, I can’t be gladder to lose.”

“Can I kiss you?” Jae Bum sounds pained, as though every passing second living as a separate entity from the younger kills him. Jin Young’s heart nearly stops.

The brunette doesn’t trust his voice to speak; he nods instead. Gingerly, he leans in and Jae Bum meets him in the middle. When their lips touch for the first time, it sends jolts of electricity up their spines and through their bodies, shocking them right down to their toes. Suddenly Jin Young can breathe easily again. A dam breaks within his chest cavity, flooding him, as though he’s emerging from the surface of turbulent storm waters and taking in his first breath of crisp, fresh air.

Jae Bum is the oxygen that fills his lungs. He’s dated other people before, boys and girls, flings and serious relationship partners, but no one has ever made him feel so alive the way the elder does. This sensation is foreign but welcoming. It’s exhilarating. He melts into the kiss, and returns his emotions with tenfold the amount of ferocity and intensity.

“Hyung,” He gasps when they break apart. A string of glistening saliva connects their red, swollen lips and he can’t look away from the tantalising way the elder’s tongue darts out and wets his already moist mouth. He sinks his teeth into his lower lip; he wants to kiss the elder again so badly, and it takes two seconds for their resolve to cave before the redhead is slotting his lips firmly against his once more.

“I think we both win from this,” Jae Bum whispers tenderly as their trembling lips part. Every single cell in Jin Young’s body is tingling like he’s been electrified. “You’re better than any prize I can ever win.”

The brunette’s chin wobbles as he forces out a watery laugh. “Hyung,” He manages to choke out. Through his misty eyes he can barely make out Jae Bum’s concerned face and blurry figure reaching out to brush away his tears, but before the elder can do so he’s already closing the distance between them again.

 

* * *

 

 

They’re certain Mark and Jackson already have an inkling as to what has transpired (somehow they’re pretty quick on the uptake when it comes to these things – but then again, anyone would’ve been able to guess when Jae Bum chased after Jin Young rather K-dramatically), and wisely decide against returning to the auditorium for the announcement of the showcase winner to spare themselves from the merciless teasing and prying gazes. Instead, they make their quick escape off campus grounds and back to Jae Bum’s apartment before the gossip – the anticipation for the outcome of the showcase had been high since it it’s going to be the ultimate match between the high profile pair, but look at how it ended – can spread like wildfire.

While it’s a little too close to home territory with Jackson staying literally next door, they figure it’s better to have the blonde see Jin Young leave Jae Bum’s room than to have the entire dormitory’s – and subsequently, the school population’s – tongues wagging when Jae Bum eventually has to leave Jin Young’s ( _like the Walk of Shame after a one night stand_ , the redhead thinks, _how risqué_ ).

He rummages through his closet and finds for the brunette his favourite beige NBA hoodie and newest – and thus, least holey – pair of sweatpants. Dressing his boyfriend – the term of endearment still sends tingles down his spine – up in his favourite clothes may bear maliciously selfish intent, but all the guilt gets washed away when he sees Jin Young’s slighter frame looking so heart-wrenchingly precious drowning in said garments that are way too big for him. It stirs up protective instincts the elder never knew he had.

Jae Bum wants to gather the delicate brunette in his strong arms and hide him in his embrace forever. He can’t really do that and doesn’t think Jin Young will appreciate it, so instead he decides to cuddle with him instead. He takes Jin Young by the hand and gently leads him to the bed. He climbs on first and lies flat on his back and arranges the younger boy to his side, head pillowed on his chest. One hand is tucked under his head and the other is laced with Jin Young’s smaller one.

The silence between them is comforting this time. There’s no crackling electricity or awkward tension, just two people enjoying each other’s quiet, reassuring presence. Jae Bum decides that there’s no moment more serendipitously perfect than this.

Jin Young tenderly traces the redhead’s features with his free hand. He allows the tips of his fingers to run, over the two tiny moles adorning his brow bone, down his sharp nose and over his cupid’s bow. “My painting doesn’t do your face justice.” The brunette muses, his hand sliding down to cradle the elder by the jaw.

Jae Bum shakes his head slowly and turns to press a kiss into the younger’s palm. “No, my face doesn’t do your painting justice.”

“Are we really going to start another argument?” Jin Young teases, “Right here, right now?” He says levelly, trying to sound nonchalant, but the elder sees the manner in which his rosy cheeks heat up further at the compliment and takes immense pride in it.

Jae Bum chuckles. “I can’t control myself when it comes to you. I think it’s in our nature to be competitive.”

The brunette laughs, light and carefree and refreshing. The corners of Jin Young’s eyes crinkle as does the corners of his mouth. His soft, alabaster cheek dimples and god, it’s so beautiful Jae Bum wants to live the rest of his life looking at this picturesque scene.

“God, I love you so much,” The elder says breathlessly, helplessly enamoured by the cherubic face smiling up at him as though he cradles the brunette’s entire world in the palms of his hands. He can’t fathom how such a beautifully perfect being can fall for a flawed him but he’ll spend the rest of his days proving his worth if he has to. “I love you so much. You make me go so crazy.”

Jin Young rests his forehead against the broad, secure expense of Jae Bum’s chest, tracing his love into the fabric stretching across the redhead’s rapidly thundering heart with his fingertips. “Well, what can I say? No one else drives you up the wall like I do.”

 


End file.
